How does the SUV handle on different tires sizes? Is 18" more for comfort and 20" for handling? Is it worth it to pay $1,295 for the larger wheel size?

Ignoring any variation of perception of the cosmetics..... the 20" rims mount tires that are more expensive and have less sidewall. The less sidewall provides less flex and a harsher ride. Unless the suspension was specifically designed for 20" rims I would not count on any better handling either.

How does the SUV handle on different tires sizes? Is 18" more for comfort and 20" for handling? Is it worth it to pay $1,295 for the larger wheel size?

Really personal preference, and mostly for looks. From a total cost standpoint, no matter what, 20" rims cost more and the tires cost a lot more, and probably will need to be lower profile, meaning you will replace them more often. Also, the vehicle will be heavier, which affects gas mileage and handling. So I would stick with the 18s if it were me. I bought a Pilot years ago with heavy ass 20" chrome wheels, that were so heavy and the lo-pro tires cost so much, I dumped them a month later. My current Lexus SUV has 17's with high quality all terrain tires and it handles great.

"The best life hack of all is to just put the work in and never give up." Bas Rutten

In most cases I think it is an appearance thing. Big wheels and tires are in so bigger is better.

In theory, people put bigger wheels on cars so they can use a lower aspect ratio, which indicates the height of the tire. Less height = less flexing in turns which improves handling - usually at the expense of ride comfort. In reality, most people don't drive their cars to the point where it really matters, especially an SUV.

So I would only get the larger wheels if you like the way they look that much better or if you want to be able to say to friends "those are twenties" which you've got to admit does have a certain ring to it.

Wife and I shopped and bought a '15 Nissan Murano. Platinum (top trim) comes with the 20" wheels, SL trim and below with 18" We both could feel the ride difference. 20" were a bit harder/stiffer than the 18" plus the extra $2K (for other options also) for the Platinum wasn't worth it to us. We still enjoy the ride, not to mention the very comfortable "zero gravity seats" on our 2 round trips per year down to FL from NH.

I don't agree that 18" will be better in all aspects. The 20" will look better of course and will certainly be more expensive. The 20" will turn in better, and offer better braking, better stability, and an overall better ride in my opinion. The aspect ratio is important if you're worried about ride stiffness. Both sizes with the same aspect ratio (middle two digit number which measures sidewall height) should have the same feel. Drive the vehicle with each size and see what you think.

Also depending on the car some manufacturers change tire width as you go up in size. For example BMW and Porsche often do this - increasing the contact patch can have a significant impact on handling/mechanical grip if this is the case.

How tall the sidewalls will matter. These days Wranglers and offroad trucks get the "street" treatment with huge tires and small sidewalls. The downside is when you back too far and hit a curb or drive over an unexpectedly deep pothole full of water in a downpour. With a tall sidewall, you cringe. With a very short sidewall you cringe, then spend $1000 for a replacement tire and wheel. It's why I run 80 aspect ratio sidewall tires on my Jeep in the winter.

The taller sidewall height will make for a softer and more cushioned ride but will have more horizontal movement sometimes giving a sensation of leaning when cornering while the shorter sidewall will improve handling.

I have a Toyota with 20 inch rims and there is no harshness to the ride and it is surprisingly comfortable and handling is quite good for a large SUV.

If the suspension between the two is exactly the same, the 18" wheels should ride a bit smoother. With it being an SUV, I can't imagine 20" wheels doing anything for it performance wise. Also, usually the larger the wheels, the more expensive the tires are when it comes time to replace.

A warning about chrome plated aluminum wheels: The last vehicle I had with chrome plated wheels got pitting so severe where the tire bead seals on the wheel, that the tire lost a couple psi per day. Tire shop tried to fill the pitting with some compound that worked for a while, but never completely fixed it. I will never own a vehicle with chrome plated wheels again after that experience.

Not exactly true, larger wheels with lower sidewall tires usually provide superior handling. There is a limit to this of course.

+1. I have found this to be the case. More precise steering feel but definitely harsher and less forgiving ride; I would not do this with run-flats. I don't know how this will translate on the un-named and presumably not-performance-oriented SUV in question. Is this a Cayenne or a Forester? $1200 for plus-sizing 2" seems pretty reasonable, no? But who has painted rims as a starting point?! Putting "cool" wheels on a bus won't even improve the appearance, imo.

On a vehicle that will ever go off road the rubber band tires that barely cover the rims-extreme low profile-are like putting 15 mm. tires on a mountain bike.
Fad like the giant tailfins on the late 1950's cars?
There is an improvement in handling on road when you go to,say,from 100 profile (old 1940's cars) to 80 profile and probably continuing through 70 and perhaps 65 profile-but then as you continue to eliminate the air space crossection you are getting rid of your rim protection and begin to get something more like the semi-pneumatic child's bike tires.
Inflation pressure has an effect on handling.

Yet another vote that the larger diameter rims are almost always a vanity/appearance thing.

The shorter sidewall will mean less flex around hard corners, but even that doesn't necessarily equal higher maximum cornering grip. The cornering feel is improved and in theory there is less deformation of the contact patch in high lateral G which can help grip, but everything else has to be optimized around that. For most vehicles that have optional rim sizes OEM the factory tunes the suspension for the entry level size.

On the flip side the larger rims as mentioned increase unstrung weight with is bad for handling and ride. Shorter sidewalls increase the likelihood of damaging a rim on a pothole. They are also almost always more expensive.

In many professional racing series, assuming specific wheel sizes are not proscribed by the rules usually teams gravitate toward running the smallest rim that will clear the brakes. That tells us a lot.

How does the SUV handle on different tires sizes? Is 18" more for comfort and 20" for handling? Is it worth it to pay $1,295 for the larger wheel size?

Really personal preference, and mostly for looks. From a total cost standpoint, no matter what, 20" rims cost more and the tires cost a lot more, and probably will need to be lower profile, meaning you will replace them more often. Also, the vehicle will be heavier, which affects gas mileage and handling. So I would stick with the 18s if it were me. I bought a Pilot years ago with heavy ass 20" chrome wheels, that were so heavy and the lo-pro tires cost so much, I dumped them a month later. My current Lexus SUV has 17's with high quality all terrain tires and it handles great.

There will be more differences than just looks. The ride on the 20" tires will be stiffer and bumpier--that's just unavoidable unless it is also a different suspension and shocks, not to mention the fact that 20" tires are much more vulnerable to damage from potholes and such.

How does the SUV handle on different tires sizes? Is 18" more for comfort and 20" for handling? Is it worth it to pay $1,295 for the larger wheel size?

Really personal preference, and mostly for looks. From a total cost standpoint, no matter what, 20" rims cost more and the tires cost a lot more, and probably will need to be lower profile, meaning you will replace them more often. Also, the vehicle will be heavier, which affects gas mileage and handling. So I would stick with the 18s if it were me. I bought a Pilot years ago with heavy ass 20" chrome wheels, that were so heavy and the lo-pro tires cost so much, I dumped them a month later. My current Lexus SUV has 17's with high quality all terrain tires and it handles great.

There will be more differences than just looks. The ride on the 20" tires will be stiffer and bumpier--that's just unavoidable unless it is also a different suspension and shocks, not to mention the fact that 20" tires are much more vulnerable to damage from potholes and such.

In NJ, Tesla staff discussing Model X encourage people to go with the 20", their smaller size. Some fools still get the 22" and are surprised that they get many flat tires and damaged rims. They install rim protectors to minimize curb rash.

I loved my 19" winter tires and reluctantly put back my 20" summer tires. When the 20" wear out, I think I'll go for 19" summer also. Smoother, quieter, etc. I sit on the INSIDE of the car, can feel the difference, but not see it. It's not a show car.

I'm a person who likes the look of the 20s. They change the look of the car dramatically. I love them. Wouldn't buy this specific car without them.

The downside is that they are definitely a more harsh ride versus the 18 equivalent. Personally, I'm OK with that. What I didn't think of, unfortunately, is how slush can build up more easily in the low profile 20" version versus an 18" version, causing it to freeze and become a point of uneven rotation (high vibration) if it doesn't melt / is hard to remove. I live in Minnesota, so it tends to happen. Not the end of the world, but involves more work for me to remove that build up in the garage a few times each winter.

Coat of tires is more.

Just something to think about. If I had to buy a car for someone else, I wouldn't get the low profiles, so maybe that's my answer

It could well be that a 19" tire is the middle ground that would keep everyone happy. A lot of vehicles have choices ranging over three tire sizes. In most cases the lowest aspect tire is not the best idea unless the incentive is best handling, a moot issue on an SUV. In fact the best handling on a vehicle to be used off-road would be the opposite.

I agree with most of the others. When I ordered my new F150, I had the choice of 18s or 20s. I readily stayed with the 18" wheels and they've been good. They handle fine and I don't worry about routine potholes. I even drive over granite curbs from time to time without concern.
When I see an Escalade with 22s, it makes me smirk...

dbr wrote:It could well be that a 19" tire is the middle ground that would keep everyone happy. A lot of vehicles have choices ranging over three tire sizes. In most cases the lowest aspect tire is not the best idea unless the incentive is best handling, a moot issue on an SUV. In fact the best handling on a vehicle to be used off-road would be the opposite.

Only caveat would be tire cost - 19" isn't as popular a size and tires actually tend to be more expensive even than a 20".

Remember a bigger rim doesn't mean a bigger tire - overall diameter is the same for a given vehicle. Commonality of sizing tends to impact tire prices more than just diameter.

Personally I'm in agreement with much of what has been posted - based upon the application at hand an 18" wheel is more ideal for all the reasons (cost, mpg, ride quality) mentioned.

I cant think of one reason why the bigger diameter wheel makes sense. The ride is harsher, potholes are more likely to bend or crack your wheels, you are more likely to get curb rash parallel parking, the bigger wheels get more unnecessary attention (big issue with Hondas) and tires cost more. This is coming from somebody that was really into modifying cars and have put on bigger than necessary wheels on multiple cars. Get the 18" wheels.

We purchased a "Limited" package that came with 20" wheels/tires as part of the package. There were other options we wanted in the package but you can't pick and choose.

I have investigated switching from 20" to 18". Many people want 20s and I want 18s. I have been looking into if I can make the change with no issues. Like the speedometer being slightly off or other issues I don't know of.

The one issue I see (for the OP) is the 18" come with the steel rims which will likely not hold up as well. If you are in the rust belt, steel rims will eventually rust. You could go with 18" with steel rims and look to upgrade to aluminum wheels that are "takeoffs" from someone else going to 20s.

"We are here not to please but to provoke thoughtfulness" Unknown Boglehead

Car and Driver tested different wheel sizes on a VW Golf (yes, I know, not an SUV), going from 15" to 19". Their conclusion was 17" and 18" offered the best performance in terms of cornering and braking while smaller wheels were better for comfort and acceleration. They didn't like the 19" at all.

Car And Driver wrote:
Subjectively, both the 17-inch and 18-inch wheels and tires were in the sweet spot of grip, braking performance, ride comfort, and steering feel. Moving from 17-inchers to 18s barely degrades ride quality, and the additional grip is welcome.
...
We do know that the heavy, 19-inch setup suffered from the most impact harshness and seemed to tax the suspension the most. In contrast, the two smallest wheel-and-tire combos showed a propensity for more understeer on the skidpad but provided a more controlled and supple ride. And although it didn’t register on the dBA-meter, the 15- and 16-inch arrangements had a more pleasant sound quality than the larger tires.

I would ask about the differences in suspension, if any, they make for the larger wheels and test drive both on roads you commonly drive on. Try to find some bumpy roads, too, so you can get a good feel for the comfort aspect.

Wow! according to the Car and Driver article the radical bananaskins didn't really help performance,which I thought was the only justification for the things. So I thought I was prejudiced,but the facts justify even more rejection of the fad.
I thought they would help performance on a controlled racetrack as opposed to a real road
Give me real tires,not rubber bands. And it's not really the big wheels that are the problem but the grotesque bandy tires.
Big wheels as on a heavy truck-needed for the application.

Wakefield1 wrote:Wow! according to the Car and Driver article the radical bananaskins didn't really help performance,which I thought was the only justification for the things. So I thought I was prejudiced,but the facts justify even more rejection of the fad.
I thought they would help performance on a controlled racetrack as opposed to a real road
Give me real tires,not rubber bands. And it's not really the big wheels that are the problem but the grotesque bandy tires.
Big wheels as on a heavy truck-needed for the application.

They did not help performance on that particular vehicle (VW Golf - a small car), which, while interesting, may or may not be applicable to other vehicles.

Wakefield1 wrote:Wow! according to the Car and Driver article the radical bananaskins didn't really help performance,which I thought was the only justification for the things. So I thought I was prejudiced,but the facts justify even more rejection of the fad.
I thought they would help performance on a controlled racetrack as opposed to a real road
Give me real tires,not rubber bands. And it's not really the big wheels that are the problem but the grotesque bandy tires.
Big wheels as on a heavy truck-needed for the application.

Well, be aware of a few things. First as noted the 19s were heavier. You trade grip for increases in unsprung weight which will harm handling (and ride when not on a smooth racetrack). If you're going for track use, hardcore folks will spend the money for lighter forged wheels. Also why that new Mustang GT350 has those fancy carbon fiber wheels. So you get the greater contact patch without the weight penalty. Just don't curb a carbon fiber wheel!

Other point is the manufacturer designed the suspension firmness around a given sized wheel. Usually if you go up in size the corresponding shock/strut will be valved a big softer to help remove some of the harshness. But throw a 20" on a car designed for 16/17" and it's definitely going to ride much more harsh.